LINCOLN (Rated PG-13)

Steven Spielberg delivers a brilliant masterpiece on American history with “Lincoln,” from a screenplay based in part on the book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Lincoln” by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Fear not, history is far from a ponderous, tedious exercise with this lively exploration of the full measure of this great president, a man whose passion and humanity is on full display.

The rich human drama that played out near the end of the Civil War is all the more impressive because Daniel Day-Lewis skillfully makes Abraham Lincoln the tall, elegant and imposing figure of authority that history informs us was the case.

To its everlasting credit, “Lincoln” dwells on the final four months of the 16th president’s life and presidency, when a shattered nation teeters on the very real possibility of the Union forever dissolved.

History, but not the movie, enlightens us on Lincoln’s use of draconian emergency powers during the Civil War, such as the suspension of habeas corpus and outright media censorship.
 
There’s very little battlefield action here, and what there is merely sets the tone for certain political necessities that follow from ending the war so that the United States is once again whole.

“Lincoln” the movie focuses on the extraordinary steps that the president took in doubling down on the war effort, not merely to end the Civil War but to push for the enactment of the 13th Amendment that would permanently abolish slavery.

Most of the action takes place during the month of January 1865, when the reelected Lincoln makes an all-out effort to secure passage of the amendment in the ill-tempered House of Representatives.

The president relies on the help of Republican Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones), powerful chairman of the House Way and Means Committee and a fiery and often irascible advocate of the abolitionist movement.

Lincoln’s secretary of state William H. Seward (David Strathairn), a former political adversary during the 1860 election, was an indispensable ally in the fight to save the Union, and as such, he helped, albeit reluctantly, organize a lobbying effort to spread patronage in an ingenious vote-buying scheme.

Some comic relief comes from a trio of lobbyists (John Hawkes, James Spader and Tim Blake Nelson) who run around Capitol Hill offering lucrative government jobs to the very Democratic congressmen who were not otherwise inclined to abolish slavery by any measure.

Meanwhile, plenty of fireworks take place not just in the halls of Congress but inside the White House as well. Sally Field fully realizes the complicated role of Mary Todd Lincoln, alternately supportive of her husband or so emotionally overwrought as to be a thorn in his side.

We often catch the Great Emancipator in a pensive mood as he wanders late at night through the White House tormented by the pressing burdens of his office. On top of that, he’s a vulnerable husband and father who must cope, respectively, with his demanding wife and the ongoing grief of son Willie’s death.

More family drama intrudes with Mrs. Lincoln’s insistence that oldest son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) not join the war effort. Even against the president’s wishes, Robert wanted to join the Union Army, not seeking any favor because of his station in life.

Without the knowledge of Secretary Seward, Lincoln sends a delegation to Richmond in an attempt to negotiate the surrender of the Confederacy. Meanwhile, he has to stall this peace effort just long enough to pass the 13th Amendment.

The political intrigue in the nation’s capitol is fascinating. Lincoln realizes that unless the abolition of slavery is enshrined in the Constitution, the reconstituted Union is unlikely to pass the amendment when Democratic representatives from the South join the Congress.

Politics in its rawest form is fully on display in the contentious debate over the abolition of slavery. The sharp-tongued Thaddeus Stevens is a wonder to behold as he skewers the hypocrisy of his Democratic adversaries.

The most theatrical aspects of “Lincoln” occur as the result of debates in Congress about the 13th Amendment. One great showdown involves Congressman Stevens’ heated and acerbic tongue-lashing of pro-slavery Democrat Fernando Wood (Lee Pace).

The portrait of Abraham Lincoln that emerges is a man of raw paradoxes, one who is funny and solemn, as well as shrewd and vulnerable. The president dotes on his youngest son and is a playful storyteller, but he’s also a fierce power broker and astute commander.

Thrust into the high stakes battle to save the American Union, Lincoln comes into view as a master strategist brokering deals with members of the opposition as well as recalcitrant members of his own party.

It’s never a good idea to come away from a movie with the notion that the historical figures have been depicted with accuracy and fairness. “Lincoln,” though, seems like an honest attempt to capture the essence of one of the most compelling figures in the history of mankind.

Spielberg’s “Lincoln” is ambitious filmmaking at its best. This brilliant film shows that the president was not just a multifaceted statesman and military leader, but also a dedicated and introspective family man coping with an enormous number of challenges.

Daniel Day-Lewis is simply superb as Abraham Lincoln. If he’s not nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor, I would question the judgment of the voters.

TELEVISION BOOK UPDATE

A period drama of the early 20th Century, “Downton Abbey” is a smash hit on PBS’ “Masterpiece Classic,” soon to return in January for its third season.

Meanwhile, to satisfy the legions of fans, St. Martin’s Press has released the beautifully illustrated “The Chronicles of Downton Abbey,” highlighting the history of the popular show.

When Season 3 of the award-winning TV series opens, it is 1920 and the occupants of the Great House are waking up to a world forever changed by World War I.

New challenges to the established order and new guests abound, with more intrigue, rivalry and romance than ever. In this new era, different family members arrive, include Shirley MacLaine.

“The Chronicles of Downton Abbey” ties in nicely with the upcoming third season. The book is lavishly designed and gloriously illustrated and full of intimate detail.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.